and
Helge Niska
mailto: Erling.Wande@finska.su.se / mailto: Helge.Niska@tolk.su.se
Se also homepages of
Erling Wande
and
Helge Niska
Fax: Dept. of Finnish +46 8 15 88 71 / TÖI +46 16 13 96
Collaborator: Helge Niska, Ph.D. student.
The project is being realized as a doctoral dissertation by Helge Niska.
Erling Wande is using part of his research time on the project.
Funding 1996-1997: 544,000 SEK.
Languages: Finnish and Swedish.
The purpose of this project is to develop models for empirical and theoretical study of the simultaneous interpreting process, including assessment of theories about text understanding and text production, text/discourse types, and the applicability of translation theory to simultaneous interpreting of expert (LSP) discourse.
In a previous project, "Text linguistic models for the study of the process of simultaneous interpretation. A pilot study" (Niska & Wande, in press), a number of text linguistic models for the description of the interpreting process were evaluated. It was found that text linguistic models can increase general understanding of the processes going on during an interpreting session, on the macro level (text structure and content of the message) as well as on the micro level (morphology and syntax.) On the basis of the findings in the pilot project, the project members are aiming to develop a model for the study of simultaneous interpreting.
The present project will focus on the following issues:
1. Text understanding and references in simultaneous interpretation of LSP discourse.
To be able to interpret, the interpreter must understand what the speaker says. But in most cases, the interpreter is no subject specialist. Consequently, various types of problems of understanding occur, including terminological problems and difficulties understanding the text structure. In expert discourse, references can be hard to find in the surface structure, and coherence is often maintained only by the use of implicit references. How and when is understanding achieved by the interpreter in such a situation? The study of interpreters' understanding and production strategies in the interpreting of expert discourse is of great interest from many points of view. Besides the translatological interest, the project members believe the study would be fruitful both for text linguistics and the theoretical development of terminology, as there has been very little research on the relation between terminology, LSP phraseology and LSP discourse.
2. Text typology of simultaneous interpreting.
A functioning text typology is important for the theoretical development of interpreting research. A classification of text types in interpreting could be based upon the following factors: a) discourse function, i.e. whether the text is informative, expressive, operative (argumentative, persuasive) or phatic; b) situation types, i.e. where the interpreting takes place, the number of interlocutors and their role in society, the purpose of the interaction, etc.; c) genre, i.e. the text that is produced within a certain discourse community; d) textual strategy types, i.e. macro structure, rhetorical types and aesthetic traits etc. that the genre calls for; e) prototypical formulation matrices, i.e. conventional phrases, conventions for interaction, e.g. politeness markers, etc.
3. Theoretical relations between a general, psycholinguistically-oriented
Theory of bilingualism and theoretical models of interpreting.
The investigations made within the project are expected to contribute to the development of translation theory and the analysis of interpretation, as well as to the development of certain aspects of bilingual theory.
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